Colombia’s June 21 Runoff: A Guide for Expats

Colombia · Expat Living

Colombia picks a president on June 21, and Bogotá will feel it. Here is the plain-English Colombia runoff briefing for expats: who is running, what changes on the day, and how to plan a smooth weekend.

The two candidates

The runoff is a sharp left-right contrast. Abelardo De la Espriella is a right-wing lawyer and political outsider running on security and order, backed by former president Álvaro Uribe.

Iván Cepeda is a veteran left-wing senator from the governing Pacto Histórico, campaigning to continue President Gustavo Petro’s agenda. Whoever wins takes office on August 7 for a four-year term.

How the first round went

De la Espriella led the May 31 first round with 43.7 percent to Cepeda’s 40.9 percent, a gap of about 673,000 votes. Turnout hit nearly 58 percent, a record for a Colombian first round.

Third-placed Paloma Valencia threw her support to De la Espriella, while Petro and Cepeda questioned the preliminary count. The race is close enough that the result may not be clear until late on June 21.

What changes on election day

Colombia typically imposes a ley seca, a dry law banning alcohol sales for roughly 24 hours around the vote. The exact hours are set locally, so check Bogotá’s rules a few days ahead and stock up if you want a drink.

Expect marches and gatherings, especially downtown and in the Plaza de Bolívar area. Demonstrations are usually peaceful, but crowds and road closures are likely.

What expats should do

If you are not a Colombian citizen, you cannot vote and you face no fines or obligations. Your job is simply to plan around the day.

Stay out of the historic centre and major plazas if you want calm, run errands on Saturday, and keep Colombia’s emergency number 123 handy. Northern districts like Usaquén, Chicó and Chapinero Alto carry on largely as normal.

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